Who doesn't love onion rings, right? They are the perfect appetizer and side dish for a range of mains, whether burgers, pasta, steak, or pizza. If you’ve recently switched to a low-carb diet, though, you can't probably eat onion rings as much as you like or you even had to remove from them your diet completely.

But here’s the good news. You can make keto-friendly, low-carb onion rings that can find their place in your healthy diet. The secret ingredient that makes the regular onion rings low-carb and keto-friendly is the use of pork rind coating as a substitute for breadcrumbs in the recipe. This tasty snack recipe will probably be one of the staples on your keto food list. So, let's dive in and learn how to make keto onion rings recipe with pork rinds!

Are Onion Rings Healthy? 

Onion rings have a vegetable as the base, so they should be healthy, right? Not quite. The ingredients that go into making them can be quite bad for you if consumed too much and too often. From breadcrumbs and all-purpose flour to soybean or canola oil for deep frying, onion rings are high in carbohydrates and calories. 

But onion rings can be healthy if you switch out some ingredients, like using almond flour and pork rinds instead of breadcrumbs and opting for vegetable oil over canola oil for deep frying. That’s why homemade onion rings are much healthier counterparts than what you can buy in fast food chains. 

Are Onion Rings Keto?

Normally, they are not keto-friendly because they contain large amounts of high-carb breading. One plate of 6 rings typically contains 300 calories and 30 grams of carbs. 

Depending on the ingredients that you use, a plate of 6 homemade, keto-friendly onion rings can only have between 6 to 7 grams of carbs. The good news is that onion rings can be keto-friendly by cooking them to reduce carb content. If you swap out the high-carb ingredients, you can enjoy onion rings as part of your keto diet. 

What to Serve with Keto Onion Rings 

While the recipe we’re going to give you below will yield crunchy and flavorful keto onion rings that you can eat as-is, you can also prepare a couple of dips or condiments to go with them. Some low-carb dipping sauces include: 

• Mayonnaise
• Low-carb ketchup
• Mustard
• Worcestershire sauce 
• Hot sauce 

Tips for Cooking the Best Onion Rings

The best keto onion rings should be golden brown in color, extremely crunchy and crispy, and aren’t too overwhelming when it comes to the flavor of the onions. To achieve that, here are some cooking tips to keep in mind as you make this recipe: 

• Use thickly sliced white onions that are about ½ inch in width (vidalia onions work too). Onions that are too thin will burn easily and won’t hold the batter. 
• If you want to reduce the intensity of the onion’s flavor, you can soak the sliced onions in cold water for 10 minutes before battering and frying. 
• Shake off excess flour before dipping the rings in the egg wash to create a sturdier batter and ensure that each onion cooks evenly. 
• Make sure the oil is hot before dropping the rings into it to ensure they become as crispy as possible. If you drop your onion rings before the oil is ready, they will end up soggy. 

Making Keto Onion Rings Using Alternative Ingredients

For a tasty twist on the recipe below, you can switch almond flour with coconut flour. Adding grated parmesan cheese to create a mouth-watering pork rind parmesan coating is another alternative. Don't forget to add a dash of garlic powder for an extra boost of flavor!

While using almond flour may also add up a little bit to the net carb count, it will still be a healthier and also a gluten-free option compared to regular bread crumbs and wheat flour. Moreover, almond flour still has less net carbs compared to coconut flour. You can also opt for only crushed pork rinds as the key ingredient to achieve the same crunchy and crispy texture!

Some recipes use heavy whipping cream whisked with the eggs. If you don't mind extra calories, you can try this alternative keto onion ring recipe with some heavy cream.

Can You Air Fry Low Carb Onion Rings?

Air fryer is a great alternative to saucepan or deep fryer when it comes to making onion rings and other fried foods such as french fries healthier. By air frying them, you can cut down on the amount of oil used and still achieve that crispy texture that we all love. Simply place the onion rings in the air fryer basket greased with a little cooking spray or avocado oil and cook for around 15 minutes at 425ºF (200ºC).

Keto Onion Rings Storage Tips

If you make too many of them and want to store leftover onion rings for later, put them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also toss them in the freezer if you don’t plan on eating them in the next couple of days. Before you do, spread them out in a tray or shallow container. 

Reheating Keto Onion Rings

When you’re ready to eat your leftovers, put them on a baking tray, preset the convection oven to 350-375 degrees F, and bake for 10 minutes. Watch your yummy onion rings as they bake in the oven and remove them when they start to crisp up. Alternatively, you can also use a toaster oven to heat them quickly.

Keto Onion Rings Recipe Card

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 5-10 minutes

Ingredients: 

• ½ cup of your favorite flavor of Southern Recipe Small Batch pork rinds, crushed (use a food processor or blender)
• 2 large onions, sliced in half inch thick rings
• 1/2 cup almond flour 
• 2 large eggs, whisked
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 serving of vegetable oil to deep fry

Instructions:

1. In a small, shallow bowl, mix together the almond flour, salt, and pepper. 
2. In the second small bowl, add the pork rinds. 
3. In a third bowl, add the eggs. 
4. Starting with the egg mixture, coat one onion slice. 
5. Dip the onion into the almond flour mixture. Transfer the breaded onion rings back into the egg mixture. Finally, transfer the onion slice into the pork rind mixture. 
6. Continue this process with each onion slice!
7. Heat one inch of vegetable oil in a saucepan until the temperature reaches 350 degrees F. 
8. Add the battered onion slices to the oil, and fry until the onion rings are golden brown, flipping every 2-3 minutes in the oil. 
9. Place each deep fried onion ring onto a paper towel to drain the excess oil. Serve immediately with your favorite condiment.